The Weres
Like the ripping tides of the Outer Sea of Ordain, the Weres are a violent, crashing and oppressive force wherever they choose to beach themselves. Originally born with noble and righteous intentions by the demigod Irusis Shineshade, the Weres now find themselves in a world that views them with extreme hostility, not accepted by either the Gods of Order or the Dark Gods of the Void. Now, commanded by Irusis's increasing madness and self serving purpose the Weres fight not only a battle of survival, but a war of slow extermination against nearly every other race of Aggal. Irusis Shineshade and Nazzari the Order Slayer Born nearly two thousand years ago in the Age of Thawing, following Sernion the Cold's global ice age which cast snow and ice across the surface of the planet. Irusis was born into a family of woodsmen and craftsmen, all of which perished by starvation, leaving a young Irusis alone, dying of fever in his forest cottage. There, dying in his bed Irusis was awoken on a frozen night by swirling lights of myriad colors and voices too many to count. The more he peered at the lights the more they became substantial. The forest was in pain, and the spirits of the animals had come to find a champion to rid them of that which caused them so much pain. The spirits called to him day and night, guiding him to a spot deep within The Silvyan. There he found the body of Nazzari the Order Slayer, a daemon of once immense power. The demon was dying, and clutching a mighty shard of brilliant light that burned the daemon’s skin. It was one of the divine sparks of a fallen god of Order, the shard of Scornius the Betrayer. Lying at Irusis’s feet lay a sword, one that had magically appeared before him. The spirits whispered to Irusis, telling him to kill the daemon for good, end his chaotic reign and take the shard for himself. With the daemon spitting curses, but unable to act, its life-force held down by the very shard it clutched Nazzari watched as the human weakling approached, sword in hand to end its existence. Not hearing the curses, just the spirits Irusis plunged the sword deep into Nazzari’s chest while the daemon howled its rage. Stealing the shard from the foul creature's claws, there was an instant fusion between what was divine and what was man. As the transformation took place, the spirits that had guided Irusis to the shard joined with their agonizing champion. With the spirits of thousands, and the shard of Scornius, Irusis became an immortal demigod, gaining some of the knowledge of the god, Nazzari and the spirits that had joined with him. Irusis had achieved the first step to godhood. Shineshade became fascinated with the ordered world and vowed to keep it that way, but he had to have help and he knew it. He was still far from divine status, he still needed Scornius’s other two shards to achieve full godhood. That was irrelevant however as he focused his mind on that of this world. The spirits gave him the knowledge of shape changing, available to even mortals. Over the course of a hundred years Irusis mastered the art of Lycanthropy and formed the shape of many creatures on the planet. In his searches he wanted to create something, and finally while in the troll infested jungles of the Ordainian Continent he found the lord of the troll gods, Anix ‘An Banor. Irusis pleaded with the troll god to aid him in creating a beast of immense intelligence, strength, stamina, and ferocity. Anix smiled upon Irusis for his devotion to the world and its beasts. The troll god agreed with Irusis and together the two traveled to a deep pocket of the earth beneath the troll jungles. There a pool of primordial water lay undisturbed, spawning new creatures everyday. Anix and Irusis began a deep ritual of creation while standing in the pool of water where great magics and divine powers were unleashed. Their minds connected and together the two beings created a new. There the mist lion was born, a creature with fur as white as snow, eyes that burned in a green fire, massive fangs and paws the size of a bear’s head. The lion was highly intelligent, immensely fast, with massive strength and immortal. The lion could turn into a cloud of white mist with a thought, could phase through the planes of existence enabling it to teleport from one part of the world to another in an instant. Irusis and Anix immediately formed the shape of the mist lion and together roamed the jungles for countless years teaching the young creatures exactly what they needed. Finally Irusis left the troll god and headed north to The Silvyan and there found a large city of humans along the forest line against the Outer Sea of Ordain. He entered the city in the form of the mist lion, his now favorite form of all. The civilians fled in terror and the guards trembled at the awe inspiring greatness of Irusis. Changing form into that of his demigod self and called out to the people of the city to come to him. In front of the large crowd he told them who he was, what he was, and preached his plan, preached his will. All across the countryside crowds of people came to see the demigod and hear his words. In the droves they submitted to his will, bowed before him, he was their god. Then finally he announced the night of “The Baying.” The throngs of people flocked like sheep to the small piece of land that jutted out into the sea. There he had a small stone alter set up. One by one the droves of people took their place at the alter and one by one they transformed into their “inner” beast, one by one the fledgling nation transformed. Factions of dozens of types of Weres erupted soon after, each vying for Irusis’s affection. The Were Nation was born. The Silvyan Aside from the Troll Jungles on either the Ordainian Continent or on the Glassian Continent, the Silvyan or simply "The Forest," is the largest continuous forest in the known world. Situated on the northeastern flank of the Ordainian Continent, straddling many nations of Man with the great Black Marsh set at its southern reaches. A thick and untamed wilderness, The Silvyan has some of the most diverse expanse of trees in the world, from pines and ceders, to oaks, ash, birch and ironwood. The forest is a melting pot of smells, tastes and colors. It is because of this that many species and more importantly many races live here or around and vie for control of its vast resources. Of all the races contending for control beneath the tree tops, three reign the most supreme. The Idolei came first, growing beneath the boughs of vast ironwoods. A humanoid race of bats, the Idolei civilization stretched from the northern tip of the Silvyan to the reaches of the Black Marsh in the south. They dug extensive holdings below ground, weaving their homes in the roots of the forest and living in general peace until their schism split them into two nations, one in the east, and one in the west. Next came the Gnolls, warlike and voracious. They took advantage of the turbulence in Idolei society to conquer great swaths of the forest and soaking the land in the blood of any that dared challenge them. Though still held at bay by the Idolei, the Gnolls take every opportunity to exploit the weakness in the Western Idolei, the monkish bats unable to truly deal with the increasing number of Gnolls. The final addition was the Weres under Irusis. Centered at the City of of Baying, the holy capital to all Weres and were Irusis resides in his Sanctum. In the near two thousand years of their existence the Weres have expanded their territory into both Idolei territories and into the lands claimed by the Gnolls. Irusis calls it a cleansing, demanding that The Silvyan belong only to his people and no other and seeing the Idolei as pawns of the Gods of Order and the Gnolls as the fodder of the Dark Gods. Regular humans live on the fringes of the forest, usually within stoutly protected fortifications that can withstand a general assault, but even these are often attacked and raised by either the Gnolls or the Weres. Ordain maintains several powerful forts along the region of the Black Marsh and guards it with their fierce Legacie of the Black Marsh, a force that has been more than able to beat back any force of Gnoll or Were that has dared challenge the might of the Empire of Ordain. The Ritual The Baying is a profound ritual that brings out the "inner beast" of the individual. The individual must be human, willing and of sound mind and can never be forced. Weres are simply humans who can transform into that animal that connects most powerfully with their soul. When a child of a Were is fifteen they are given a choice, become a Were, or be cast out. Irusis will have no full fledged humans within his domain, and anyone under fifteen is considered a Child of Choice. Many choose to undergo the ritual and those who do not, are cast out and often hunted down by Weres before they leave The Silvyan so that the secrets of their people are not told to the wider world. After being laid down on an alter of white marble, a speaker of Irusis's will is brought forth to call upon their god to enact his will. It is here a painful transformation occurs as the spirits of Irusis contend for the soul of the child until one connects with the soul. It is not uncommon for the child to die in this process. Once an spirit is chosen, the transformation occurs, a violent explosion of flesh and bone as it moves to break and reshape itself into the humanoid form of the chosen spirit. From that point on the child is a product of Irusis and bound to him. Instinct and some knowledge are imparted to the Were, but more importantly, Irusis can now while the Were is transformed into its bestial state see and feel through its eyes. The Fear of Ordanus The Gods of Order did not like Irusis’s creations, a whole nation of people transformed into hybrids of animals at will. The hybrids had the tendency to be vicious and chaotic in their forms, and overly powerful in their human forms. Ordanus in turn descended upon the demigod and demanded the destruction of the hybrids and the shard of Scornius returned to the Pantheon. Irusis in an act of love, defied the god of Order, and in turn Ordanus brought the wrath of the Pantheon down upon the fledgling nation. Nature itself was turned against Irusis and his creations, a vast tidal wave annihilated the city and much of the inland sanctuaries. Irusis however used what little power he had to save a small amount of his creations and took them to his hidden sanctuary deep within Silvyan, where he had found the shard of Scornius and had killed the daemon. There he had built a vast city for his people underneath the sacred site and there he commanded his people to renew their new races. While the different factions bred and recovered Irusis sealed himself in a vault and there brooded on his throne, consulting the animal spirits within him, cursing the gods of Order and Void both, there he lost his sense of right and wrong. All that filled him was rage for his lost race; vengeance filled his heart for the gods who had done this to him. He would have his vengeance. Society Were society is divided into factions and clans all contending for favor with Irusis. It is a highly segregated society and dominated by several factions of Weres who stand above all others in their favor with Irusis. These factions have control of the council and are able to most often speak with their god and receive his will and boons. Favor is ever changing, and depending on a faction's use in fighting Irusis's enemies and tracking down information on the shards. Failure is not tolerated, and in the past entire factions have been banished from the City of Baying until they prove themselves once more. The Major Factions Werewolves: Savage and wild, lords of brutality and slaughter Werewolves are vain and territorial. They are by far the most common of the Lycan forces and control a vast amount of power in the City of Baying. Their faction holds the most territory out of all the factions and holds much affection from Irusis. They scour the world in effort to help locate Scornius’s sparks and to infiltrate every level of humanity’s infrastructure. So far they have only been detected by a single group of Lycan hunting Orders established in Ordain. They know they are out there but have a hard time locating groups operating in societies. Current Major Clans/Packs: ''White Rage Pack, Night Breed Pack, Red Fang Pack, Black Day Pack Werebears: The noblest of all the Were factions, Werebears are the eternal guardians and defenders of Lycan society. It is they who often lead the Tides in defense of their lands, act as an internal police force and have the sole honor of defending the Sanctum of Irusis. They are beloved by Irusis for their honorable hearts and ferocious souls and as such maintain a high level of power in the City of Baying. ''Current Major Clans: Thunderclaws, Grovehearts, Manseekers Wererats: The most despised of the factions by other Weres, Wererats hold high esteem in the eyes of Irusis for they are generally the sole providers of valuable knowledge concerning the movements of Irusis's enemies and the ever changing location of the Shards of Scornius. They act as Irusis's assassins and spies in the realms of Man and as such command power at the Council. Current Major Clans: Nightbloods, The Eyes, The Endless Werelions: When there is a place that Irusis deigns to be destroyed he calls in Prides of Werelions to annihilate the location. They are savage and without mercy. Often known as the Claws of Irusis, Werelions are utterly dedicated to their god's will and embody his savage vengeance against all those who have wronged the Lord of Forms. Never alone, Werelions move in groups, hunting and slaughtering together, bonded and unbreakable. Current Major Prides: Manslayers, Wrotfoe, Bloodmanes While this is not an accounting of all the factions within the City of Baying, those above are the most powerful factions in Were society. There are many forms a Were can take, but the most numerous are predators rather than prey animals. White furs and Red furs: When Irusis leaves the Sanctum, he is automatically surrounded by a group or a legion of white furred Weres who accompany him wherever he goes. White is considered the color of leaders and as such a white furred Were is raised to be a leader from the moment of their first transformation. Whites lead the armies of Irusis in his absence and command a great air of fear and respect in all corners of Were society. (+10 WS +15 Fel) Red furs are considered the Champions of Irusis, and as such from their first Baying they are trained extensively in the martial arts. Known as blood-drinkers and berserkers, Red Furs often fight alone or in groups of their peers. As a champion they are afforded certain rights and privileges, and are often given special tasks to track down and kill particularly dangerous foes that Irusis no longer wants threatening his people. Reds are more savage than general Weres, and obviously by their visage, more fearsome. (+5% Str, +5% Fel) The Gods of Order and the Dark Gods of the Void Irusis still holds onto his original vow, although his view of the vow has changed. While Irusis no longer exalts the Ordered Universe over the Void, he still views with eternal hatred those spawned by the Void, particularly the Dark Gods. There is no place in either pantheon for he and his people, but for Irusis, the Dark Gods are far more deadly and threatening to he and his children. Because of this, he is extremely active in hunting down servants of the Void and destroying them. It is also because of this that hunting Weres is a beloved blood sport among true servants of the Void, like the Wrot. Many young Wrot will prove themselves by heading into The Silvyan and capturing Weres to bring back as slaves, particularly slaves for the fighting pits, or slaves for sacrifices to the Gods of the Void. Of the Gods of Order, Ordanus is the most fervent in setting about to wipe the Weres from the world and take back the Shard of his once brother god, Scornius before it falls into the hands of a God of the Void. To this task his servants have created several orders who actively hunt down and kill Weres in the lands of Man. While not strong enough to venture into The Silvyan and do more damage, these Orders do hold sway in the Ordainian military, and at times have persuaded the Emperor to marshal forces and enter The Silvyan to destroy some holding of the Weres or defend a settlement of Idolei, who the Ordainians view as allies against the Weres. The Shards of Scornius It is known that the priests of Ordanus have found a great shard and have since its discovery been spiriting it away from the ever persistent Irusis. They believe and know that the day Irusis gains the shard that the full fury of the Lycan world will descend upon all the mortal races in devastating horror, led in the lead by Irusis himself who will wreak untold amounts of damage upon the world. It is currently unknown where the shards lay, its corruptible power calling to the demigod constantly. The Third Shard remains dormant, or hidden in a way Irusis cannot sense. Irusis grows ever more irritated at being denied his rightful place as a god. He surrounds himself with albino Weres whenever he leaves his Sanctum to seek the shards, and descends upon villages and hamlets and towns with ferocious abandon in attempts to find the sparks. The Accords of Slaughter This is a great book of unholy power said to be in the possession of Crest Fang, Prophet of Irusis, and Wolf Lord of the Black Day Pack. It is said to contain the written words of Irusis, and his will from day one to present, which is constantly relayed and recorded by Crest Fang. It details the attacks on everything that the Lycan tides have preformed, as well as the names of all the lords that rule in the council at the sacred Baying City and their current favor with Irusis.